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My wish list

1) I would love to be able to type complex searches in the command line in Hebrew and Greek while using the Native Hebrew and Greek keyboards. In version 9 most of the Hebrew entry bugs were fixed but I am still unable to @* etc... while using a Hebrew keyboard. After entering the . or ' the Hebrew characters work, but the special code characters cannot be typed. This is a very old but that I hope will someday be come a priority to fix.

2) I would love to see an OT manuscript addition similar to the NT addition that came out in version 9.

3) I would love to see Hebrew versions of Jewish writings (like the Mishah) in the databases.

Browse window

What about the ability of grouping Bible versions in the Browse Window? For example, one group would be the Original Languages, another one - English translations, still another one - Vernacular translations (Polish, Russian, German etc.). Then the group could either be expanded/collapsed with a click or one would pick a desired group from a dropdown menu. Might be quicker to navigate, rather than scrolling through dozens of translations. Thanks for considering.

What about the ability of grouping Bible versions in the Browse Window? For example, one group would be the Original Languages, another one - English translations, still another one - Vernacular translations (Polish, Russian, German etc.). Then the group could either be expanded/collapsed with a click or one would pick a desired group from a dropdown menu. Might be quicker to navigate, rather than scrolling through dozens of translations. Thanks for considering.

Some of us have been doing this very thing for years (BW8, if not BW7). Just use the tabs. One tab for your Greek NT versions, another for the Hebrew OT, another for English translations, and you have 9 more tabs for other combinations. In BW9 you can label the tabs, so you don't forget which is which. And if you should run out of tabs, you can always set up some "Favorites" in the BW Options Window, and you can switch between favorites in the same tab in just a couple clicks, and stay in the same Bible verse. Mark Eddy P.S. is anyone else having a problem using the "Enter" key to start a new paragraph here? I can't get it to work, as you can see from this post, which should be 3 separate paragraphs.

Things I would like to see improved in the presentation (some of these have already been mentioned by others):

- I can't comment on how BW9 looks in Windows 7 or 8, but in XP (especially under Parallels in Mac), the Greek font is very thin and not very enjoyable for reading. With the Mac Crossover version, it doesn't come across well either. Of the different fonts, bwgkl is the best, but it still could be improved. I would love to see a font that is better adapted for reading long passages. If it is acceptable as is in Windows 7 and 8, then at least a better font for Mac users would be appreciated!

- As I've already mentioned, with a reading mode that puts verses into paragraphs would be very appreciated. Along with that suggestion, I would suggest adding a space separating paragraphs as well. The current paragraph marker is helpful when working with texts, but not really when just reading.

- Again, when in browse mode, the text in BGT, etc. is very tight from one line to the next. If there were a way of setting it up (only in browse mode!) to make a larger line space, that would be helpful.

- In the verse list, I like the feature of being able to see the entire verse, and not just one line of it ("show entire verse"); however, there is currently no spacing between the references, so they look like they run together. It would nice to have each verse separated by a space.

All these comments are connected, I think, with the fact that other Bible programs (Logos, Accordance) have gotten on board with the idea that a Bible program is no longer just for researching words or verses; it's also for actual reading. BW is not geared toward that use, at least for the moment, but it would be helpful for it to do so!

BTW, I second DNS's suggestion of having an easier way of finding notes.

Don Cobb
Aix-en-Provence, France

Last edited by Donald Cobb; 05-18-2013 at 09:05 AM.
Reason: additional point

Some of us have been doing this very thing for years (BW8, if not BW7). Just use the tabs. One tab for your Greek NT versions, another for the Hebrew OT, another for English translations, and you have 9 more tabs for other combinations. In BW9 you can label the tabs, so you don't forget which is which. And if you should run out of tabs, you can always set up some "Favorites" in the BW Options Window, and you can switch between favorites in the same tab in just a couple clicks, and stay in the same Bible verse.

I do use tabs, for instance, when writing a sermon based on the week's lectionary texts, I have a tab for searching, and one tab each for the OT text, Psalm, Epistle, and Gospel. But in each of those tabs I have multiple versions in multiple languages (my most commonly used Favorite has NRS, NIV, WTT, BGT, VUL, PEH, not all of which, of course, appear in every context). Being able to have the English or other versions grouped so as to collapse and expand them would still be useful.

Stats

Originally Posted by Donald Cobb

Hello all,

One thing that strikes me is that the list-making capability in BW seems to be solely focused on verses, i.e., I can make a list of where certain verb or nouns are found, but it doesn't seem like I can compile a list of the forms themselves, that can then be sorted by frequency, etc. Don Cobb
Aix-en-Provence, France

I want to count the number of times that a Hebrew verb is used in Qal, Niphal, Piel, Pual, etc. For instance, I'm looking at "aman" (to trust, believe) in Gen 15:6 - I want to see how many times that it's used in each stem.

Doing it manually yields -

Qal - 8x
Niph - 46x
Hiph - 51x

But this is me doing several different searches and recording the stats on my own - aman in qal; aman in niphal; aman in piel, etc. I'd much rather run one search and then be able to filter it as I'd like.

I want to count the number of times that a Hebrew verb is used in Qal, Niphal, Piel, Pual, etc. For instance, I'm looking at "aman" (to trust, believe) in Gen 15:6 - I want to see how many times that it's used in each stem.

Doing it manually yields -

Qal - 8x
Niph - 46x
Hiph - 51x

But this is me doing several different searches and recording the stats on my own - aman in qal; aman in niphal; aman in piel, etc. I'd much rather run one search and then be able to filter it as I'd like.

If I understand your request, BibleWorks did satisfy it in BW8 and BW9. The thread you link to explains how to do it using the Word List Manager.
It took me a few minutes to figure out the required settings for the WLM, but then it is very easy to use.

Add to 10

2. In at least one English version (KJV), one Hebrew, and one Greek, mark the Old Testament Quotations in the New Testament. Mark them in BOTH the Old and New Testaments. Only the part actually quoted, like "Out of Egypt I called my son" in Hosea 11. And make them either a link to each other, or else you hover over them and the "other end of the quotation" pops up. Absolutely the FIRST place everyone should start with "exegesis"!